On July 4, America's birthday, we stood together before citizens of both our nations to celebrate our mutual commitment to the self-evident truth that all men and women are created equal before the law.

Both of us reflected in our remarks how Malta is known today, and we trust shall always be known, for its kindness. Our two nations' founding principles embrace all people - of whatever colour or ethnicity or belief - as unique; each of us holds within our hearts the desire to know, love, and serve others;each of us tries to find our way in this world, and we rely upon God and each other to carry us at times farther than we can go ourselves.

This is realised every day in Maltese and American homes alike where mothers and fathers silently hope their children will see the meaning of life more clearly and purposefully than they have.

It is thus with sadness of heart that we note in some places a worrisome acceptance of the discredited idea that it is all right to treat people of different colour or of different ethnicity or of different faith less well than ourselves.

We both know in our respective countries that individual acts of discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, ethnicity and religion are occurring; that these acts are hurtful to their victims and corrosive to the public commitment to equality. This prompts us to put pen to paper.

We also write now because the meaning and hope symbolised by July 4 remains fresh in our minds and because it is but a few months since Pope Benedict XVI reminded us upon his farewell to not cease to welcome the stranger, including the migrants that come to Malta's shores from Africa, and by parallel reasoning, the families from many lands that are drawn to America.

Yes, the presence of migrants in our respective lands requires responsibility on the migrants' part to observe our laws and to seek gainful employment, but there are correlative obligations on the part of each of our countries as well.

There is no justification for treating another with less than full respect, in recognition of our "common humanity", as President Barack Obama in his greeting to Malta.

We no longer see July 4 only as an American holiday; Obama rightly urged in his letter to US Ambassador Douglas Kmiec, which he read at the Upper Barrakka gardens, to see the day as a celebration of the common ground upon which our two nations and all nations must stand.

It has been suggested to us that the ill treatment of people of colour only results when a person is perceived to be an irregular migrant - that is, someone who has only recently made the sea crossing to Malta or traversed the borders of the US in a way said to 'burden' scarce resources.

This view invites invidious distinction and denies the intrinsic worth and respect due each person. It is not a view easily reconciled with the welcoming kindness that is the hallmark of the Maltese character or the self-evident truths proclaimed in America's Declaration of Independence.

As individuals given leadership roles in our countries, we pledge never to tolerate a policy built upon animosity and hatred. Of course, individual incidents of discrimination based on race, ethnicity or religion do not constitute policy, but the failure to clearly object to such discrimination might be so perceived, and it is important for any such specious inference to be thoroughly and completely disavowed.

This is especially important to say because in our countries, where the virtue of solidarity thankfully remains strong, we know that there is a tendency among victims to "turn the other cheek." We commend the victims of discrimination for their generosity of heart and willingness to forgive, but any form of racial discrimination or epithet is worthy of our mutual concern and resolution to oppose its recurrence.

At the July 4 celebration, reference was made to the words of prayer and blessing upon the Maltese people in the anthem of the Republic, L-Innu Malti.

Malta has been abundantly blessed, but we should never lose sight of the anthem's call to 'confirm us all in unity and peace'.

Likewise, the ambassador's recounting of Abraham Lincoln illustrated how devastating America's losses were when she tolerated the tyranny of slavery.

In the spirit of L-Innu Malti, let us together work toward a renewed ethic of non-discrimination 'with', as Lincoln observed, "malice toward none and with charity for all".

Mr Kmiec is US Ambassador to Malta.